Manufacturing of collars

ABSTRACT

A COLLAR STIFFENER COMPRISING A PANEL OF BACKING MATERIAL ARRANGED TO LIE ALONG THE FOLD LINE OF A COLLAR, AND HAVING A CORNER FORMATION FOR POSITIONING AT THE WING END OF THE COLLAR, AND A STIFFENING STRIP SECURED TO THE PANEL AND EXTENDING FROM THE CORNER FORMATION TO AN INNER END STOPPING SHORT OF THE FOLD LINE EDGE OF THE PANEL TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN THE INNER END OF THE STRIP AND THE FOLD LINE EDGE OF THE PANEL. ALSO A DIE FOR AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING COLLAR STIFFNERS AS DESCRIBED.

NOV. 23, 1971 D, 5, TEPERSON 3,621,492

MANUFACTURING 0F COLLARS Filed Jan. 7, 1970 2 ShG1tS-ShGOt l Nov. 23, 1971 D, 5, TEPERSON 31,621,492

MANUFACTURING 0F COLLARS Filed Jan. 7, 1970 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 ma Jil/72,75@ M, 00m/m MW United States Patent O 3,621,492 MANUFACTURING F COLLARS David Samuel Teperson, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Re-

public of South Africa, assignors to Permastay (Proprietary) Limited, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Ilan. 7, 1970, Ser. No. 1,133 Int. Cl. A41b 3/06 U.S. Cl. 2--143 3 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A collar stiifener comprising a panel of backing material `arranged to lie along the fold line of a collar, and having a corner formation for positioning at the wing end of the collar; and a stilfening strip secured to the panel and extending from the corner formation to an inner end stopping short of the fold line edge of the panel to provide a clearance space between the inner end of the strip and the fold line edge of the panel. Also a die for and a method of manufacturing collar stiffeners as described.

This invention relates to the manufacture of collars. In particular, it relates to the manufact-ure of shirt collars. It relates also to the stiffening of the points of such collars.

In the manufacture of shirt collars, it is desirable to have a stiifening element for stiffening the point of the collar. However, the inner end of the stifening element should stop short of the fold line of the collar so as not to dig into the neck of the wearer while the collar is being worn. It is also desirable to have a backing material to stop along the fold line of the collar. According to practice known to the applicant. a patch of backing material is used for the collar, extending up to the fold line of the collar. Thereafter a stiffening member having a stitfening element is secured in position over the patch, the stiffening member having a stiffening element extending from the point of the collar towards the fold line, but its inner end stopping short of the fold line of the collar, thereby providing clearance between the inner end of the stitfening element and the fold line.

According to the invention, there is provided a collar stiening member adapted for assembly with at least one other collar member in the manufacture of a collar, the stiffening member comprising a panel of backing Inaterial having a fold line edge which, when the stitfening member has been assembled with the other collar member, is arranged to lie along a line which is to be the fold line of the collar, and having a corner formation adapted for positioning at the point or wing end of the collar; and a stiffening element strip narrower than the panel of backing material and secured thereto and extending from the corner formation to an inner end stopping short of the fold-line edge of the panel of backing material thereby providing a clearance space between the said inner end of the stiffening element strip and the fold line edge of the panel of backing material.

The stitening member may have a cut or notch in the panel of backing material, the cut or notch extending from the fold line edge of the backing material towards the said inner end of the stiffening element.

The panel of backing material of the stifening member may conveniently have a coat on `at least the face opposite the stiffening element strip, for adhesive securing to another collar member.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of producing collar stiffening members as described above, includes providing a laminar workpiece comprising backing material to iwhich is secured a narrower strip of stift- 3,621,492 Patented Nov. 23 1971 ening element, of cutting collar stiffening members from the workpiece such that the sti'tfening element strip extends from the corner formations towards the fold line edges but stopping short of such edges thereby providing the clearance spaces.

More particularly, the stiffening element strip is secured to the backing material along a linear securing zone, such as by stitching along its length.

The cutting may comprise blanking out the shape of the stiffening members by blanking out waste material between successive collar stiffening members, and simultaneously blanking out an appropriate length of the end of the stiffening element strip to provide the said clearance space.

However, if desired, the cutting may be done in two stages namely:

(a) A first stage in which the c-ut or notch is made at the inner end of the stiffening element strip to provide the said clearance space; and

(b) A second stage of cutting at least one edge of the outer shape of the stiffening member itself. The cut or notch is preferably narrower than the stitfening element strip and is made along the linear securing zone, a transverse cut being made at the inner end of the cut or notch away from the fold line edge, the transverse cut deiining the inner end of the stiffening element strip. The transverse cut may conveniently be curved so as not to provide sharp points on the end of the stiffening element strip.

The invention further extends to a collar embodying a stifening member as described above.

The invention also extends to a two stage die for carrying out the cutting operation as described above, and comprising a rst stage part adapted to be a permanent stage, and having a cutting region for cutting off only the inner end of the stiffening element strip to provide the clearance space; and a second stage part adapted to be interchangeable so that stiffening members of varying outer shapes can be cut from a workpiece.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the workpiece having a first stage cut;

FIG. 2 shows another plan view of a workpiece showing a second stage cut;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a two-stage die for carrying out the method; and

FIG. 4 shows a stiffening member as obtained by the method and as applied to a collar.

Referring to FIGS. l and 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 relates to a workpiece comprising backing material 12 to which is attached a stitfening element strip 14 secured to the backing material 12 by means of stitching 16.

In accordance with the invention, a first stage cut is made, as indicated at 18. This cut is also referred to as a Y-cut. The notch 20, i.e. the leg of the Y, is intended to cut out the stitching, thereby blanking out the Zone whereby the end portion 22 of the stiening element is attached to the backing material. Once this portion is removed, then the side portions of the stiffening element can be cut off by a transverse cut. The Y-cut further has a curved transverse cut 24 so as to provide a rounded end of the stiening element. The notch 20 has a width greater than the width of the stitching so as to ensure that the stitching will nonetheless be blanked out, even if there is some misalignment between the stitching and the blanking out tool. Likewise, the curved cut 24 is wider than the stiifening element 14 so as to ensure that the end of the stiffening element will be cut off completely even if there is some lack of alignment.

Once the first stage cut has been made, then the second stage cut can be made by means of a die (not shown) having the outline shape indicated by the dotted lines 26.1 and 26.2, showing the outline of a stiffening member 26 to be cut.

If desired, waste material 28 between two successive stiffening members, may be cut out by having a die substantially of the shape of the waste material. In such an arrangement, the workpiece will be fed in the direction of arrow 30. For such purpose of blanking out waste material, the die will have the shape indicated by reference numeral 32 (as is shown in FIG. 2,). The line 34 in FIG. 1 is the cutting line of an earlier stiffening member which had been cut from the workpiece.

The line of cut 26.2 defines the fold line edge of the stiffening member 26, the edge being adapted to define the fold line of a collar (not shown). As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fold line edge 26.2 intersects the notch 20. However, if desired, the notch 20 need not be intersected by the fold line edge 26.2. Instead, it may be separated therefrom by a small width of material bridging the gap at the outer end of the notch 20. The width of the material may be a millimeter or so. The width of the material at any rate is such that the end of the stiening member will fall away readily after notching. It must therefore not be much wider than one stitch. This has the advantage of providing a continuous edge along the fold line 26.2. Such continuity may be obtained by suitably positioning the first and second stages of a die as described in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, adjacent stiffening members may be brought close to one another so as to reduce a minimum waste material between them. They may be brought so close that the pointed end of one member will intersect the fold line edge 26.2 of the adjacent one.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there is shown a die for a two-stage operation. Reference numeral 40 indicates the first stage part of the die, and which is adapted to be a permanent stage. It has a blanking region 18.1 which is intended to cut off only the ends of the stitfening element. The second stage part 42 of the die is intended to be interchangeable so that varying shapes of stiffening members 43.1, 43.2 may be cut from the workpiece with different second stage parts. All the stiffening members will, however, have this one characteristic feature, namely the clearance space 44 between the fold line edge 46.1 and 46.2 and the end 48 of the stiffening element 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, there is shown a collar 50 having attached to it a stiffening member 26 having a fold line edge 46 adapted to define the fold line 51 of the collar. The end 48 of the stifening element 14 stops short of the fold line edge 46, thereby providing a clearance space 44 between the end 48 and the fold line edge 46 of the stiffening member. The collar has a neckband backing strip 52 defining the other edge of the fold line 51 of the collar 50.

What is claimed is:

1. A collar stiffening member for stiffening the wing end of a collar and adapted for laminar association with at least one collar member in the manufacture of collars, the stiffening member comprising a panel of backing material having a fold line edge which, when the stiffening member has been assembled with the other collar member, is arranged to lie along a line which is to be the fold line of the collar, and having a corner formation adapted for` positioning at the point or wing end of the collar; and a stiffening element strip narrower than the panel of backing material and secured thereto and extending from the corner formation to an inner end stopping short of the fold line edge of the panel of backing material thereby providing a clearance space between the said inner end of the stiffening element strip and the fold line edge of the panel of backing material, and the panel of backing material having a cut or notch extending across the said clearance space from the fold line edge of the backing material to the said inner end of the stiffening element.

2. A collar stiffening member as claimed in claim 1, in which the stiffening element strip is secured along a longitudinal securing line to the panel of backing material, the said cut or notch being aligned with the said securing line.

3. A collar stiffening member as claimed in claim 1, in which the inner end of the stiffening element strip is rounded, and in which the panel of backing material has an arcuate cut aligned with the said rounded inner end of the stifening element strip and wider than said strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,132,347 5/1964 Light 2--132 3,283,337 11/1966 Dawes et al. 2-143 FOREIGN PATENTS 833,882 5/1960 Great Britain 2--132 889,348 2/1962 Great Britain 2-132 447,078 3/ 1968 Switzerland 2--132 JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2-132 

